Flying-machine.



A. A. FOKKEN.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 27, 1910.

1,021,925, 7 Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

.-. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

. I I [NVEVTOR A. A. POKKEN.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 27, 1910.

I 1,021,925, Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

VVITNESSES [NVENTOR z Zaa- A. A. FOKKEN.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 27. 1910.

f/VVENTOR J J 1 T'Qkki "Patented Apr. 2, 1912 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3. I

ADELBERT A. FOKKEN, OF RAYMOND, SOUTH DAKOTA.

rLYme-nacnmn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

Application filed September 27, 1910. Serial No. 584,074.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADELBERT A. FOKKEN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Raymond, in the county of Clark and State of South Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flying-Machines; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertams to make and use the same.

My invention relates to flying machines and my. object is to provide a flying machine which will possess the advantages of both the aeroplane and the helicopter types.

A further object is to provide means for automatically balancing the machine.

A further object-is to provide means for controlling the amountof supporting sur face of the aeroplane.-

.A further object is to provide means for varying the inclination of the aeroplane. A further object is to provide lifting and propelling means of the feathering-blade paddle-wheel type, and, a further ObJGCt is to provide manually operated means for controlling the operation of the feathering mechanism. g

'With the above. and-other objects in view, this invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and shown in the aoc0mpanying drawings, which are made a part of this a plication.

' Int e drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is. a side eleva- .g g

I in suitable bearlngs supported by the frame;

tion in part'section. Fig. 3 is a detail end elevation-of a propelling unit. Flg. 4. 1s a detail side elevation of the meansv for controlling-the feathering of the blades, and, Fig. 5 is a detail view. in part sectlon of a portion of the automatic balancing mecha- IHSm. I

- ,Referringtothe drawings in which similar reference numerals designate like parts in all views, 1 is the frame of the machine which is preferably constructed of metal tubing in the shape of a1 flattened octagon with braces .2 extending vertically therethrough and joining theupper and lower sides. Extending transversely throughthe front .of'thefram'e is a bar'3, wh1ch.'1s 'se-,

' cured to; the vertical frame members by sleevesisii as. to permit of'its being elevated orloweredl To this bar'is secured the front edge of an aeroplane 5, which is constructed of canvas or thelike. The rear end of this plane is carried by a roller 6, which is preferably spring operated so as to retainthe plane under strain or tension at all times and. allow for the same being partly or wholly furled by simply releasing its front end from the bar 3. The rearward portion of the plane extends between guides 7-, which are carried by the frame, the purpose of these guides being to give to the plane the proper curvature;

In order to provide for varying the inclination of the plane a link 8 connects the bar 3 to the bell-crank lever 9, pivotally mounted in the frame at 10. The other arm of the bell-crank lever is connected with a hand-lever 13 by means of a link 11, and 1n order to retain the hand-lever in a fixed pos tion, I have provided a segmental rack 12 of the usual form and a pawl 13 carried by the lever to engage the'same.

Supported by the central bars of the frame is a floor 15 upon which are mounted motors 16, of any description but preferably of the internal-combustion type. By

means of a clutch, not shown, these motors are connected to bevel gears 17 which drive like gears on a shaft 18. Said-shaft may be provided witha differential gearing somewhere between these ends to compensate for the difference in speed of the motors,'but as this gearing is an incidental refinement, I have not considered it necessary to show the same. The ends of the shaft-I8 are provided with bevel'gearswhich-mesh with like ears on the shafts 19, which are carried the latter being carried by suitable journal boxes mounted directly on the frame. These wheels consist of the shafts 25, arms 26 secured thereto and blades 27,. 'pivotall mounted on the arms, the latter being 'pre erably, braced at their outer extremities by wires .or the like. On the end of each blade shaft is a spur ear 29 adapted to m'esh with the teeth oga partially-cut annular gear wheel 30, which is rotatably mounted on the shaft 25. These latter parts constitute the feathering mechanism, and it will be seen that by properly disposing the cut portions of the gear so that their angular relation will be correct, the paddle wheels 29 will be made to assume a direction parallel with the general motion of the machine during part of their revolution and during the' remainder will be turned so as to exert a lifting or propelling effort. Wheels 31 are attached to the outside faces of the wheels 30 and a chain 32 connects the sprocket wheels of the front and rear feathering mechanism on each side so that the movement of one will necessitate a like adjustment of the other.

In order to control the time or part of the revolution in which the feathering of the blade occurs, collars 34, having holes 34 in one side thereof and a longitudinal slot 35 in the opposite side are attached to the wheels 30. Slidably mounted within the collars 34: and extending through the slots 35 therein are the segments 33 havlng the hollow extensions 33 through which extend the sprin actuated rods 35 whlch are adapted to register with the holes 34 in the collar 34 when the wheel 30 is turned for adjustment, and thereby lock said wheel against accidental rotation. Rigidly secured to the' wheel 30 near the periphery thereof are the hand levers 36, for the purpose of manually adjusting the wheels 30.

In order to maintain the transverse equilibrium of the machine, pendulums 37 are pivotally mounted beneath the floor, each of these pendulums having attached to the top thereof atransverse lever 38. The links 39 are pivoted at their lower ends to the lever 38 and at their upper ends over the extension 33 of the segment. It will be seen that the tilting of the machine will cause these pendulums to swing about their pivots, thus raising one of the links 39 and lowering the opposite one and by this action the segments 33 and rods 35 are moved and therewith the wheels 30 are turned and the propeller blades 27 on the lower side are automatically adjusted to exert the greatest lifting force, thereby restoring the machine to an even keel. After the aeroplane has been thus restored to its equilibrium the pendulums 37 swing back to their normal position as shown in Fig. 1 and the wheels 30 are caused to move back to their normal position and the blades 27 are caused to move back to their original position.

In the operation of the machine the aeroplane 5 is first allowed to roll upon the roller 6, the motors 16 are then started, the hand-levers 36 are set to obtain the greatest lifting efieet from-the blades and by applying sufiicient power the latter will then cause Sprocket the machine to raise itself vertically. When a suflicient elevation has been attained, the aeroplane 5 is extended by means of some suitable system of pulleys and cords, not

shown, and by means of the lever 13' it is adjusted to the correct inclination. ,The hand-levers 36 are then set to obtain a greater propelling eflect from the blades.

By drawing out the rods 35 the collar may be properly positioned by moving the hand lever 36 after which the rod 35 is released and entering the holes in the collar 34 locks the wheels 30 in the desired adjusted position. If there should be a tendency of one side of the machine to drop, the pendulum 37 will efleet further automatic adjustment of the segments position until an even keel is maintained.

The longitudinal balance of the machine 1s manually maintained by the movement of the. lever 13, which serves through its connecting links to elevate or depress the front portion of the plane 5.

- In order to turn the machine, it is only necessary to rotate the propellers of one side faster than those of the other. The result will be to elevate one set and at the same time swing each around, said tilted posit on, bein the normal one for turnmg, is not e ected by the pendulums 37, which because of centrifugal force, will still remain at right angles to the plane of the floor. This increase of speed of one side over the other is efiected by sliding the drums 20 upon their shafts'by some suitable system of levers, not shown.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a flying machine, which is in man respects automatic in itscontrol and be ance, which is capable of gliding safely to the ground in case of accldent to the machincry, and which is also capable of maintainmg itself in the air .in case of accident to the supporting planes.

What I claim is:

1. In a flying machine, including a frame, an aeroplane, and a motor driven propell1ng means, the combination with a roller horizontally disposed in a transverse plane and adapted to serve as a securing means for one end of the lane, of a horizontal bar slidably mounte on the vertical frame members and adapted to serve as securing means :forthe other end of the plane, means for adjustmg said bar vertically and means for r0 1mg said plane upon said roller.

2. In a flying machine, the combination with a plurality of feathering-blade propeller wheels disposed on either side of the longitudinal center of the machine, of means for manually controlling the feathering of said blades, means for locking said feathering blades in adjusted position and additional means for automatically controlling thefeathering of said blades.

toothed mounted on 'the shafts o and ads 1 fonautomaticallycontrolling the osi'tion,

S-ofthe'segments to maintain the ba .4, In a flying machine the. combination 3. In a flying machine, the combination 'with a plurality. of feathering-bladepro-s Felling wheels alined on either side of the ongitudinal center. of the machin'e, s u'r gearscar'ried on the shafts of the bla es,- wheels. having segments of.- their eripheries v l sald pro,-

llei's and adapted to control 7 the featherv mg-of the blades thereof, and segments carried b-;'i sai d *wheels having holes therev throug of afcol1a surrounding each seg} .merit, a hand-lever 'securedto the collar,-

pins passin% through. holes inth'e. segments te topassinto registering holes; in the co lars,':means for releasings'md pins from -engagementwith the collar and means anee of Y with a plm'ality of feathei-ing-hlade pr0.= Feller wheels disposed on either slde ofthe ongitudinal center :of. the machine, of means. for. manually controlling the feathering of said blades, means for lockingsaid feathering-blades in adjusted position, means for. automatically controlling the iathering of saidblades, and means c0n-' 'nectingthe propellers u on one side so that the automatic .ad uStment of, the

featheringeontrol will be effected 'sim'ultaneously in all the pro ell'ers on said side;

In testimony whereo I have vsigned my name to the specificationjin the presence of two subsc ibing nwitnesses, I

ADELBERT A. FOKKEN. WitnessesS; of

" G. E. Hansen; '1

s W; M. pamon'nn 

